Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population has imported Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines administered against cervical cancer with the assistance of the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI). GAVI will provide only 1.77 million vaccines to Nepal. 460,940 doses of the vaccine have been received now, the vaccines have been kept in a storage room at Teku in Kathmandu Valley and will be sent to all the provinces gradually.

The government of Nepal has declared a vaccination drive from February 5 to protect adolescent girls from cancer from an early age. As part of the 15-day campaign, 1,688,900 girls aged 10 to 14 years from class 6 to 10 and out of school will be vaccinated, Child Health and Vaccination Section chief Dr Abhiyan Gautam informed. Human papillomavirus infection is the main cause of increasing the risk of cervical cancer. Human papillomavirus infection is caused by premature marriage, early child delivery, giving birth to more children, having children at short intervals and having sex with multiple people, excessive smoking and drinking, and not paying attention to genital hygiene.

President of India on Monday (December 23, 2024) appointed retired Supreme Court Justice V. Ramasubramanian as the Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission. The post of NHRC chief was lying vacant since June this year.

President also appointed Priyank Kanoongo and retired Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi as the Members of the NHRC-India.

A high-power committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on December 18 to select the next chairperson of NHRC. Both Leaders of the Opposition (LoPs), Mallikarjun Kharge in the Rajya Sabha and Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha also attended the meeting.

Acclaimed film director Shyam Benegal passed away in Mumbai today. He was 90 years old. Shyam Benegal breathed his last at a private hospital in Mumbai, where he had been undergoing treatment for chronic kidney disease.

The legendary director won several National Awards for movies including, Manthan (1976), Bhumika: The Role (1977), Junoon (1978), Arohan (1982), Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2004), and Well Done Abba (2010).

Widely regarded as one of the greatest visionaries in Indian cinema, Shyam Benegal is a name that evokes memories of iconic, socially-reflective films like Ankur, Bhumika, Nishant, Manthan, Sardaari Begum and Zubeidaa. Born on the 14th of December in 1934, in Hyderabad, Shyam Benegal began his journey with advertising films, but soon, his artistic vision led him to redefine Indian cinema. Shyam Benegal was a pioneer of the New Wave movement, a master who brought rural struggles and social realities to the silver screen. His contributions went beyond cinema – from his iconic TV series Bharat Ek Khoj to mentoring generations of artists. With awards like Dadasaheb Phalke, Padma Shri, and Padma Bhushan, Shyam Benegal remains a beacon of creativity and courage. His demise leaves behind a legacy of six decades that transformed Indian storytelling.

The Ministry of Defence has said that ‘Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas’ will be the theme of tableaux for Republic Day (RDC)-2025. It added that 15 states and Union Territories have been selected to showcase their tableaux on the Kartavya Path during the parade. These states include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Dadar Nagar Haveli and Daman, and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka and among others. In addition, 11 Ministries and the Department of Union government have also been selected for RDC-2025.

The Ministery said the selected tableaux would showcase India’s diverse strengths and its constantly evolving cultural inclusiveness marching into a glorious future, showcasing ‘Swarnim Bharat – Virasat aur Vikas’ to the world audience.

The central government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a 500 million dollar loan to support green and sustainable infrastructure projects aligned with the country’s climate commitments. In a statement, the Ministry of Finance said that the loan, with a sovereign guarantee, will be extended to the India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL). It said that the project will build the institutional capacity of IIFCL to integrate green and best practices into the infrastructure projects. The ministry said that a sustainability unit and an environmental sustainability framework and scoring method to assess the sustainability rating of the projects will also be established. Speaking on the occasion, the Country Director of ADB, Mio Oka, said that this financing will help IIFCL provide long-term capital for infrastructure projects focusing on connectivity, energy transition, education, and health care.

In a moment of national pride, Nusrath Fatima from Sankoo, Kargil, representing India, clinched a silver medal at the 5th Junior World Pencak Silat Championship, held in Abu Dhabi from December 18 to 22. Competing in the 58 kg Junior category, her outstanding performance underscores India’s rising stature in global combat sports.

Nusrath’s achievement not only highlights her personal dedication and talent but also reflects the untapped potential in India’s far-flung regions like Ladakh. Her victory emphasises the importance of nurturing sports at the grassroots level and integrating athletes from every corner of the country into national and international platforms.

General Secretary of the District Kargil Olympic Association, Syed Mehraj Uddin Shah, praised Nusrath’s accomplishment, calling it a proud moment for both Ladakh and India. He stated, “Nusrath’s success demonstrates the growing strength of India’s youth in traditional martial arts like Pencak Silat, which is gaining global recognition.”

Decorated international rifle shooter Shahu Tushar Mane of the Railways, clinched his first senior national title, winning gold in the popular men’s 10m Air Rifle event at the 67th National Shooting Championship Competitions (NSCC) for Rifle events, currently underway at Bhopal’s M.P. State Academy (MPSA) Shooting range.

Also hogging the limelight was former world champion Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil of Maharashtra, who shot a sizzling 254.9 to win the junior final, surpassing the existing senior finals world record held by Olympic Champion Sheng Lihao of China, by a margin of 0.4.

It was Shahu however, who set the ball rolling on men’s Air Rifle Day at the MPSA finals hall, shooting nothing below 10.1 in the 24-shot final to win it by the barest of margins. The Kolhapur boy, who began shooting in 2015 and has won an ISSF World Cup gold in the air rifle mixed team as well as an individual silver in the Youth Olympics, managed to hold off a late surge by Dhanush Srikanth.

China has achieved a major milestone in space exploration. Two astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station completed a nine-hour spacewalk. This feat, confirmed by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), sets a new global record.

Surpassing a Two-Decade-Old Record
The previous record belonged to US astronauts James Voss and Susan Helms. They spent eight hours and 56 minutes outside Space Shuttle Discovery. Their mission took place on 12 March 2001 during an International Space Station expedition.

Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong surpassed that time. Their extravehicular activity (EVA) concluded at 9:57 p.m. Beijing time on Tuesday. The CMSA called the mission a "full success."

Malayalam cinema and serial actor Meena Ganesh died at private hospital at Shoranur, Palakkad, Kerala on Thursday (December 19, 2024) morning. She was 81. She was under treatment for age-related issues for some time. She stayed away from acting after she suffered a stroke six years ago.

Meena acted in more than 100 films. Notable among them were Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum, Karumadikkuttan, Punaradhivasam, Meesha Madhavan and Nandanam, among others.

Born in 1942 at Kallekulangara in Palakkad to Tamil actor K.P. Keshavan, Meena began her career as a theatre artiste when she was 19. She worked with theatre groups such as SL Puram Surya Soma, KPAC, Kayamkulam Kerala Theatres, Angamaly Pournami, Kottayam National Theatres, Changanassery Geetha, and Thrissur Chinmayi. She won many awards for theatre performances.

Chennai-born Indian American Caitlin Sandra Neil has won Miss India USA 2024 during the annual pageant held in New Jersey. The 19-year-old, who is a second-year student at the University of California, Davis, expressed her desire to make a positive impact on her community. ‘’I want to leave a positive lasting impact on my community and focus on women’s empowerment and literacy, ‘’ Caitlin stated in a media release.

Born in Chennai, India, Caitlin has spent the last 14 years in the United States. She wants to make her career as a web designer while also doing modelling as well as acting. Her win at the Miss India USA pageant reflects her dedication and goal to contribute to society meaningfully and simultaneously achieve personal success in her chosen field.